For years, yellow gold was the metal a lot of serious collectors avoided. Steel was perceived as serious. Titanium read as technical. Platinum stayed just discreet enough to pass as understatement, even at a six-figure price tag. Even rose gold escaped some of the stigma, flying a little under the radar. But yellow gold carried some baggage. It could seem a bit flashy, or be seen as a relic of 1980s excess that most buyers wanted to avoid in a daily-wear watch. Collectors may have admired it in theory, in a dealer's display case or an auction catalog, without wanting it anywhere near their own wrist.